One last pic of the bridge area in Ozark with the westbound viewed from the east side of the bridge. As you can tell, I still need to install layout lighting in this area.
Saturday I decided to start doing a little work on the scrap yard. First I needed a shredder/pulverizer to reduce larger scrap into little pieces. I had a hopper bottom from a grain hopper kitbash I did a few years ago. I added styrene sides and legs to come up with this little gem. I still need to install the shredder blades and add a drive train and motor for power. I also need to build conveyors for moving the reduced scrap. Here is the shredder in the scrap yard. I'm going to paint it a bright red or green then weather it heavily to reflect its use. The "coal piles" in the yard will be piles of scrap. I took a couple of pieces of 1" pink foam, glued them together and shaped them then painted them black. Then I spread carpenters glue over the pile and add scrap. This is a shot of one of the piles drying after scrap is added. I'm hoping to get these piles done and installed today or tomorrow depending on drying time. Once they are done and installed, I will post an updated pic.
As promised, here is a pic of the scrap piles installed. Not the best pic in the world but I hope you get the idea. Still more work to do. Hopefully I can get better pics next time.
Here is a pic after a few more details were added and the pulverizer/shredder is painted. there is still a lot more to add and weather.
MOPMAN, thank you for your shredder/pulverize picture. Some day I have to build one too for my Diamond Valley scrap yard. Wolfgang
Speaking of balers....if you're gonna ship baled scrap, you have to have a baler. So here is the start of one I'm building for Davis Salvage. This is the main horizontal ram and hopper. The ram is 4'X4'X40' (HO feet that is) and the hopper is 4'X8' at the bottom and 5'X8' at the top. The height is 11'. I googled "scrap metal baler" and after a while I found something I could base this project on. Note I said "base" as I don't plan on recreating a prototype made today. Remember it's 1977 on my layout. I then sketched a rough plan and started building. I'll try to post more pics later this evening.
Sorry I didn't get an update last night. I got started on a conveyor section and by the time I was done it was kinda late. I added bracing and the horizontal conveyor section so here is the front view. and rear view I still needed some additional bracing on the horizontal conveyor when I took this picture. Now the reason I am late with this posting. This is the front of the angled portion of the conveyor. By the time I reached this point it was late so I quit. I'll get the other side done later today. Here is a pic of how the pieces will go together. Still more to add but it is progressing faster than I thought.
Well I haven't done a lot since the last post as work has been hectic since the boss is in the hospital the past couple of months with a broken neck due to someone rear ending his car. He also has health problems that have led to complications, but it seems he will pull out OK but it will take time. I did get the horizontal conveyor support built and installed but there is still a lot of little details to do still as well as the hopper to feed the conveyor and the vertical ram. Here is the progress so far. I am really anxious to get this piece done so I can install it in the scrap yard.
That handlaid track is really nice! It seems to flow so well with all the curves. Not (hardly) a straight section in sight. I like that type of layout. Nice weathering on those engines, too.
Thanks Flash. This is my dream layout that I planned for years (before moving to our home). I have been working on it for about 9 years but as with a lot of layouts, once the mainline is complete work slows down as operation takes over. Once I can retire in a few years, I hope to have more time to do more detailing and structure building, but for now I need to get the branch line finished and the scenery in so I can eliminate the abyss on the Spadra peninsula (50+ inch drop to floor). If life goes as planned, this is my last layout.
That's what I think, too. :angel: It's a lot of money and time to get a layout to the operation level (nearly all tracks laid) and some scenery. I have about 50% with scenery. Mopman, do you have a layout plan posted? I didn't find one. Wolfgang
Hi Jim, I have visited your layout and I know you are proud. The quality of work and research is evident. I enjoyed visiting with you and talking about the area, and it's railroading history. Frequently I visit Alma and Clarksville while doing my genealogy, beautiful scenery to say the least, and you are doing a fine job. You should never need another layout. We have 1 to 2 operating sessions a week with 2 to 4 operators on my bedroom sized layout the "Sand Springs Railway", and though it is small in relation to your 21 by 21 layout, I don't forsee another layout in my lifetime. Remember, although you have a "FINE" layout it needs only to please you. Richard rich c Sand Springs Railway N Scale Layout
Wolfgang, I posted a simple track plan on page 23 post #225. I just threw something together on notepad so I think everyone gets the idea if you follow the Spadra Turn photos. I didn't think I needed to learn a new CAD program just to post a trackplan when the layout is 2/3 complete. The major passing sidings on the main are in Van Buren and Spadra. The runaround in Ozark is too short for meets. There will be runarounds at Clarksville Jct. and Clarksville on the branch.
Ah Rich, good to hear from you. The Sand Springs is a great railroad to model with a lot of operating potential. As to size, I'm just lucky to have what I have and the length of run adds considerable time to a op session. I believe the last Spadra Turn took me just shy of 50 minutes to complete. However, I have operated on some very small layouts that kept me busy for most of an evening so size isn't everything.
How long are your sidings? You have different length. I guess your staging tracks are longer than the other tracks, sidings and yard tracks. Wolfgang
Spadra is about 20-25 50' cars, Van Buren is slightly longer. And yes the staging tracks are even longer. Also each track in staging is two blocks long so that I can stage two trains on one track if need be.
Now that spring break is over, I am back to working on my scrap metal baler. I've added the feeder portion of the conveyor and hydraulic lines to the pistons I then added the end rollers for the conveyor belts. I will fill in the area between the rollers with some scrap stock since it won't be seen when the belts are installed. I also installed the operators platform and the end chute for the finished bales. Still need stairs, railings and control stand on the platform, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel (I just hope its not a train) on this project.
The basic shapes are cut and assembled from sheet styrene. If you look at the pics in the post right before yours, the reinforcing ribs are made of strip wood and the rollers for the conveyor belt are dowel stock. I needed a baler and I didn't want to have to purchase a bunch of stuff to do it so I found enough material (I think/hope) in my styrene and strip wood stock to do the project. In hindsight I think I will post a "how to" in the Inspection Pit when I get finished so those in other scales (that don't visit the HO forum) can use the info to build their own if they are so inclined. The design was "stolen" from photos I found on the web of various balers. I altered the original design to fit the space I had available in the scrap yard.
